Tag Archives: who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it

If It Is The Lord’s Will We Will Live And Do This Or That

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Wisdom - James 4:13-17 - If It Is The Lord's Will We Will Live And Do This Or That - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Wisdom – James 4:13-17 – If It Is The Lord’s Will We Will Live And Do This Or That – Growing As Disciples

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. James 4:13-17 (NIV)

 Ask The Question

You are a planner. You like to think and dream big. You like to think about all the possibilities of life. You see things and wonder how they could be changed and made better. You’re always wondering what you could do differently. It’s hard for you to sit still. You like to be on the move. You want your life to count for something. You want your life to have made a difference in this world. Yes Lord, you are describing me quite well. That shouldn’t be too hard for me because I made you. I enjoy seeing all these qualities at work in your life. You are who I have made you to be. But there is something more that you want to talk to me about, isn’t there? Yes, there is.

What do you want to say to me? There is a question that I always want you to have front and center in your heart and mind. It is a great question that I want you to ask me at the start, in the middle, and at the end of your thought process when you are planning to do something. If you don’t ask me this question, your plans will not succeed. Ask me, “is this your will?” You will need to know my answer before you proceed. You have a lot of energy and you can become very enthusiastic and excited about a plan or project you are working on. Your natural energy and excitement might carry you off in the wrong direction to attempt to do what is not my will for you. You may have the right plan or project but the wrong timing. I want you to really involve me in your thinking and planning. Don’t come up with your great plan and ask me to bless it at the very end. I want to bless the work of your hands by guiding you to do what I have always planned for you to do for me. I do have a purpose and plan for your life. Ask me what that plan and purpose is. Do you think that I will hide my purposes and plans from you? No, there is no chance of that. If you don’t know my purposes and plans, what do you think the problem might be? I think that I probably haven’t asked you and then waited for your answer. Yes, I want you to keep asking me to reveal my purposes and plans for you. What will you do as you continue to ask me? I will continue to serve you where I am and wait until I have an answer from you. Yes, asking and waiting is exactly what I want you to do. I will show you when, where, and how to act. Then you will bear an abundance of fruit for me.

Lord, I have raced off in a thousand different directions all based on my thoughts and plans. I have made so many mistakes. No more. Help me to rely on your for your wisdom. I want you to guide my life according to your will. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Wisdom – James 4-13-17 – If It Is The Lord’s Will We Will Live And Do This Or That – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

You Ought To Say If It Is The Lord’s Will

Posted on by
Reply
The Virtuous Life - Day 202 - James 4:13-16 - You Ought To Say If It Is The Lord's Will - Growing As Disciples

The Virtuous Life – Day 202 – James 4:13-16 – You Ought To Say If It Is The Lord’s Will – Growing As Disciples

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.  Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. James 4:13-17 (NIV)

Listening

That seems to be the key. What seems to be the key to what? Listening, it seems to me, is the key to being able to know and do your will. Why do you think so? If I am unwilling to listen to you, I will never know and do your will. If I am too busy to listen to listen to you, I will never know and do your will. If I would rather listen to myself than to you, I will never know and do your will. Those are all correct statements. What will be required of you if you want to hear from me? If I want to hear from you, I will need to humbly, and attentively, listen to you. I will need to set aside my agenda. I will need to stop and make time so I am not too busy or distracted to hear from you. I must be willing to follow and obey you once I hear from you. It would do me no good if I were only a hearer of your word. I must be willing to go and do whatever you ask of me. Why would you bother to speak to me if you knew that I wouldn’t listen or follow or obey you? I suspect you would not, unless you really wanted to get my attention, so you could turn my life around. And I know that you have done that before in my life. That is true.

But I don’t want to be a reluctant listener. I don’t want to be a hesitant follower. I want to live my life in such a way that I am in sync with you. I want to live in an intimate relationship with you. I want to hear your voice. I want to know and do your will. I want to go and do all that you ask of me. I want to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. So, I will listen attentively to you. You are correct, that is the key, do that and you will be able to know and do my will. Thank you, Lord.

Lord, I know I can dream up elaborate plans to keep me busy. I do not want to be busy. I want to be productive. I want to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. I want to be able to know and do your will. Help me to listen attentively to you. Amen

Key Question…  How are you making time to listen to the Lord so you can know and do His will?

Living It Out…  Listen attentively to the Lord so you will be able to know and do His will.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that the Lord will help you to know and do His will as you listen to Him.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has been guiding your steps as you listen to Him.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you listen to the Lord so you can know and do His will.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Devotional Study Guide click here

The Virtuous Life – Day 202 – James 4-13-16 – You Ought To Say If It Is The Lord’s Will – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                                                        Copying not permitted                                                                                    http://www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Now Listen

Posted on by
Reply
The Prayer Filled Life - Day 68 - James 4:13-17 - Now Listen - Growing As Disciples

The Prayer Filled Life – Day 68 – James 4:13-17 – Now Listen – Growing As Disciples

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.  Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. James 4:13-17 (NIV)

Your Plans

What are your plans? That sounds like a trick question to me. It might be, why do you think so? You want me to discuss my plans with you. If I have made elaborate plans without discussing them with you, that is not good. That is a huge problem. Why is that? You want me to know and do your will. You want me to be able to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. You want me to store up treasure in heaven with you. Plans that don’t have you in them will amount to nothing of lasting and eternal value. Plans to pursue all that this world has to offer will surely result in a wasted and misspent life. I don’t want to waste and misspend my life. One day I want to hear you say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” Nothing will give me more pleasure and joy than knowing that I have gone and done your will. I will have no greater happiness than knowing that I have lived a life that was pleasing to you. That is very good.

So, better questions, that are not a trick questions, would be my asking, “What are your plans for me?” How can I go and do your will today? How can I bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name? How can I store up treasure in heaven with you now? Those questions are in my heart and on my mind. Why is that true? Why are you asking such good questions of me? I love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. I love you with all that is within me. There is nothing I would rather do than go and do what is pleasing to you. I see, how did you come to love me so deeply? I love you because you first loved me. You rescued me from a life without you. You saved my soul. You forgave my sins and cleansed my unrighteousness. You gave me a new life to live. That life is with you. You made it so I could love you with all that is within me. Now, I want to live and walk in an intimate relationship as I go and do your will. That is very good and so you shall. One day I will say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Thank you, Lord. 

Lord, many times I have relied on myself. I have made my own plans. I have gone my own way. I have suffered disastrous results by making dumb decisions. No more! I will rely on you by listening to your voice. Help me to be fruitful for your kingdom and glory. Amen

Key Question…  When are you setting aside time to stop and listen to the Lord so you can know and do His will?

Living It Out…  Listen attentively to the Lord so you will be able to know and do His will, bearing fruit for His Kingdom and glory.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that the Lord will help you to know and do His will when you listen attentively to Him.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how you are continually seeking to know and do the Lord’s will.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you listen to the voice of the Lord so you can know and do His will.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

The Prayer Filled Life – Day 68 – James 4-13-17 – Now Listen – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                                                        Copying not permitted                                                                                    www.GrowingAsDisciples.com